Chairman’s Notes - Home Internationals
May 23rd 2011
A month of frenzied activity saw the Home Internationals commence in Cardiff, progress to Nottingham and then Dublin and finally conclude in Edinburgh.
Starting the ball rolling, Cardiff was brilliantly organized by Mike Workman and Sue Evans. The Hotel was central for some of our WAGS (and a couple of our more effete players) and it was a short walk across the park to the two clubs. Everyone behaved themselves, even Glen was in bed (reasonably early) on the Friday night. England won everything, 40 + 60, but not without a couple of the 60’s undergoing some mental therapy after a 3/2 win over Ireland. The Hotel and Food were excellent.
The second weekend was at Fitzwilliam, Dublin, and I will discuss only the Squash side here, more of the other later in this report.
England O35, the youthful ones, gathered for their builders breakfasts, captained by PC Cox and despite some hard matches, came through unscathed.
As did the O55, captained by ex-policeman CI Hardy, although he was in despair losing his personal match with Scotland – lots of banter here, especially from a mutual friend, Clark McAdam of the South Sudan. (This is where he has been posted for those who may not know). Even Mark Cowley lost an International against someone more ferocious than he, Boyd Kidd. Battle of the pit bulls, but Mark holds the last laugh, he beat Boyd to become World Champion. Peter Alexander was far too good for everyone and is favourite to win the Open.
The Women’s O35 were also unbeaten, despite some worries beforehand.
The third weekend was a triumph for BFD and Nottingham. You all know BFD, our esteemed Home International organizer. He is a very, very good organizer and if he did as he has promised, he would be a very, very good squash player (as he used to be before lager entered his life). Nottingham, of course, needs no introduction - it is one of the top three or four clubs in Britain. Everything there, central, easy parking and a re-sighting of Thurger, aka Mike Thurger. Amazingly, apart from his mad scientist hair style, he looks bodily ten years younger than his opponents and played like it as well. Suffice to say, Wales O70’s won 3/2 with England O70’s, congratulations. Nothing wrong in a bit of hard fought competition to keep things ticking over.
The final weekend was in Edinburgh and the Women’s O45 suffered a late withdrawal, luckily Avon Lady Helen Gould, fresh from three victories the week before, put her Country’s needs in front of her own. The O45’s won their group but the O55’s suffered defeat at the hands of Scotland 55 with Pauline Douglas and Faith Sinclair in their line up. Congratulations to Scotland here.
The Men’s O65 and O45’s were unbeaten with Rod Boswell going to five twice and Eamonn Price, now i/c of a division in the Royal Bank of Scotland beating Braveheart aka Alan Thomson—who turned up for the Tartans in three separate weekends
Part of my brief as Chairman is to deal with thorny questions/problems. In February, after complaints, at the Committee meeting, it was agreed by a vast majority, I would be responsible for writing to Irish Squash, asking for the venue Fitzwilliam, to be changed as the costs, €120 club package and €100, Hotel package, were considered far too high for our members (£192). As some of you will be aware, ESM subsidise a large sum for each player selected to play in Ireland, due to the high cost.
England’s cost is £150, Wales £160, Scotland £180, this is all expenses except travel. There are 72 players, so a disparity between Nottingham and Dublin for example is £3024 in total. It was always agreed that there would be no profiteering over the Home Internationals, it would be at cost and Masters Players should not be taken advantage of.
It had been explained to me by the Irish President, John O’Connor, that the ‘high costs’ were down to Fitzwilliam and their court and food costings and the fact that it was a ‘Gold Card’ venue and that he wouldn’t skimp under any circumstance.
In the meantime, a Welsh player, Lynne Davies picked up that the Mespil Hotel booked direct on the internet was miles cheaper than the €100 quoted to us and after some email activity, Irish Squash agreed to reduce this package by €22 per head.
I had said to my fellow Committee Members that as I was playing at Fitzwilliam and knew people there very well indeed, I would have a private word before a public one.
It transpires that, in actual fact, Fitzwilliam’s costs did not include courts (which are free) and that their name was being taken in vain, allegedly. So after a lengthy phone call to the President, a strong email was despatched and a short one received back saying Ireland had the perogative to charge what they liked.
So, as we speak, nothing has been resolved, although Ireland’s EGM to re elect the President was called off in April and now their AGM is on June 16 to elect a Board.
We will wait until then to discuss with the new Irish Board for 2011/12, but it has been agreed unanimously by England and Wales and Scotland that a maximum price of £175 per head for everything will be the norm for 2012 onwards. Anything over this and the Home Nation has to pay for it themselves, out of their own pockets, not visiting (and home) Masters players, which is totally against everything we stand for. We have done all the figures, covering every eventuality including evening entertainment and £175 is the absolute maximum. This gives at least a £10-15 leeway from 2011 prices.
Martin Pearse
Chairman